In the ever-volatile skateboarding industry, brands come and go, then come back again, only to go out once more, and eventually make room for the next person who is really in tune with what skateboarding is today. While no two brands can really be compared, the true signifier of their importance in skateboarding is how they can make a difference in the culture and bring something new to the table that hasn’t been done before. Every single brand on this list has been a part of something unique that has made us pay attention to them above all the others out there doing it in this saturated market.

Tony Hawk and Per Welinder developed the Birdhouse Projects Skateboard Company following the decline professional skateboarding saw in the late 1980’s to early 1990’s. Tony Hawk gave the Birdhouse Projects name instant notoriety and made it into one of the professional skateboard brands in the world. Many skaters who have followed Hawk, have faithfully chosen a birdhouse skateboard. Birdhouse grabs the third place spot with their boards that are built to last and also provide maneuverability and for being a top rated skateboard brand.

The brand directs their concentration on towards freerides, carves, and downhill rides for all levels. Rayne offers one-offs and protos in their sales. The boards from Rayne in our observation can ride with double kicks, pushers, dancers and cruisers. You can entrust in the authenticity and progression of Rayne since their foundation dated back in 2004 and has not failed any of their fans.

The brand based in Vancouver provides skateboards featured with construction of fiberglass and bamboo, Rayne longboards assure the best skating experience you can imagine. Decks made by Rayne has the ultimate crispy flow produced from the highest quality bamboo. The boards come with unique designs that standing out with the cool personality that beats other competitors in the market.

In this modern era, manufacturers are incorporating hi-tech processes and top-shelf materials into the construction of the skateboard. Companies such as Almost have several versions of hi-tech decks such as the Impact, Double Impact, and Uber Light Series. Element makes Highlight decks with inlayed fiberglass beams, and Foundation has its signature Fiberprime decks. Other manufactures such as Flip, Habitat, Plan B, Skate Mental, and Zero offer boards with high-end P2 Construction. Hi-tech decks differ from traditional 7-ply Maple in that they are inlayed with Carbon Fiber, Fiberglass, Poly Ply, or Kevlar to produce a stronger skateboard with more pop. For more options, head over to our stellar selection of Hi-Tech Decks! Although hi-tech decks have made a strong presence within the market, standard 7-ply Maple remain the gold standard. This is due to the solid feeling and pop afforded through layering 7 Maple wood veneers together. The large majority of skateboard decks offered are constructed of 7-ply Maple. Most board manufacturers offer both high-tech decks and standard 7-ply Maple. No matter what you desire, CCS offers a complete selection in multiple sizes, shapes, and construction types!
The concave of a skateboard deck is how curved the width of the deck is. Very few skateboard decks have no concavity and are completely flat as then they would break very easily and be hard to do flip tricks on. Steep concave decks are the most study and best to do flip tricks on because the slope of the deck catches the skater’s toe or heel more easily and flips the board faster than a shallower deck. Shallow concave boards are better for cruising around and vert skating as they are more comfortable on your feet and more controllable. In practice, these recommendations are pretty general and it ultimately comes down to personal preference on the the best deck concavity. But if you have no idea, following the recommendations or picking a board with moderate concavity is a good place to start.
Proper skateboard wheels are made out of polyurethane with minimal additives. Toy skateboard wheels can be made of plastic or a low quality poly mix which leads to poor performance in the best case and even outright dangerous situations with cracked wheels in the worst case. This is a case where brand recognition and reputation can come into play.
Mark Gonzalez created bLind Skateboards in 1989, and shortly after initiated a pro team for his skateboard brand. The bLind brand is known for higher durability due to their innovative features. The boards released by bLind are developed and marketed for hardcore skaters and top other skateboarding brands. We like that bLind goes all out providing one of the strongest boards out there, and without sacrificing the flex needed for tricks. They also do it all with a sick style and an innovative business plan that has made them one of the top skateboard brands.

Great option for a beginner who wants a pro deck and doesn’t mind non-pro branded parts. Enjoi is very well known by skateboarders and the panda logo will be recognized everywhere. This particular deck is 7.75″ wide which is why I think it’s the best as it can be skater by any size person comfortably. One slight downside to this setup is that the board comes unassembled, however many skaters enjoy putting together their own skateboards and it can be done in just a few minutes by following a YouTube video. You won’t go wrong with such a well-respected brand and average size, this is actually the exact skateboard I decided to buy for my nephew a few years ago and he absolutely loved it!

Individuality and a self-expressed casual style have always been cultural values for skateboarders, as uniforms and jerseys are not typically worn.[88] This type of personal style for skateboarders is often reflected in the graphical designs illustrated on the bottom of the deck of skateboards, since its initial conception in the mid seventies, when Wes Humpston and Jim Muri first began doing design work for Dogtown Skateboards out of their garage by hand, creating the very first iconic skateboard-deck art with the design of the "Dogtown Cross".[89][90][91]

The logos you grow up with always mean more to you than the ones that came before or after. I'm not even going to suggest that I can be unbiased about something that means so much to me; but I also like to think that as a skater who has worked within the industry as an artist and a skate rat that grew up in the Midwest, I can separate my love of the activity from my personal feelings about the industry and companies. These are important logos for many reasons. Some are more powerful and meaningful than others but what I'm addressing are icons that have come to represent skateboarding in a lot of ways... succinctly and graphically.

Santa Cruz’s earliest videos Wheels of Fire (1987), Streets on Fire (1989), Speed Freaks (1989) A Reason for Living (1990) and Risk It (1990) are viewed today as paradigm-shifting releases which promoted interest in skateboarding globally by giving a platform to every kind of skateboarding that existed, from street and vert skating, through to the more niche genres such as slalom, downhill and freestyle, whilst at the same time retaining the aesthetic of skateboarding’s subcultural position in society.
However, this same company decided to ‘Cash-in’ on THE NAME BRAND, and now con-currently sells JUNK , made in China, at WAL MART. DO NOT BUY any ‘longboard’ they sell that has plastic trucks!! They are an accident awaiting a place to occur. I’ve seen wheels (from a company that prided itself on ‘the best wheels’) that are upwards of 4 mm out-of-round, which could easily cause speed-wobbles, even at pedestrian speeds. From my POV, they’ve opened themselves up to possibly numerous lawsuits, just because of the inferior quality, and poor design choices made in order to maximize profit.
“I just felt like it was a window of opportunity within my own career. I might be one of those lucky few who’d be able to do that, start my own brand and move on. That window of opportunity only upholds for so long in skateboarding before you miss your prime, so I’d be kicking myself in the ass five years from now looking back and saying ‘how come I didn’t capitalise on that? Here I am, an older skater and not in my prime anymore and I have nothing still connecting me to skateboarding’”
Many jurisdictions require skateboarders to wear bicycle helmets to reduce the risk of head injuries and death. Other protective gear, such as wrist guards, also reduce injury. Some medical researchers have proposed restricting skateboarding to designated, specially designed areas, to reduce the number and severity of injuries, and to eliminate injuries caused by motor vehicles or to other pedestrians.[102]
Lovenskate have produced a number of full-length videos throughout the 16 years of their existence, including the 2015 release Lovenskate – Smorgas’board although more recently they have followed the direction of skate media in general and concentrated on releasing shorter, rider-specific clips such as Jordan Thackeray’s Welcome clip and more recently the Batch Capture series.
Polar’s inaugural video release, The Polar Skate Co. Promo – Wallride Oh Yeah Oh Yeah Oh Yeah (2012) with the tagline ‘Inspire others to inspire themselves’ featuring Pontus, fellow Swedes Oskar Rozenberg and Davd Stenstrom, Polish rider Michal Juras, Dane Hjalte Halberg, Tjark Thielker and original rider and Polar artistic contributor Jakke Ovgren.
Your number 1 in 2015 is called EMillion Skateboards. The brand from Bavaria stands for quality and commitment. Additionally, the brands supports artists and an amazing team of skateboarders. Put that and add an unbeatable cost-benefit ratio and you know why this company is number one! Congratulations EMillion. You are skatedeluxe’s Top Skateboard Deck Brand 2015!!! In celebration of this we have an amazing EMillion Skateboarts sale over at the shop!

They aim to make of the best distinction to recognize among a thousand brands available. Starting from scratch, the brand has become successful with the invention of drop down longboard that convinces skaters around the world to have many advantages. Their belief in “making quality skateboards that will improve life” has never faded as they grow to be in the back of Blackcomb Ski Club. They even plant a tree for every product they make and sell to prove their eco-friendly operation.

Bearings are standardized to fit in all kinds of skateboard wheels. All bearings will eventually get dirt and gunk in them which slows you down. Regular cleaning is recommended. Higher quality bearings will perform better, roll faster, retain more speed, and last longer when cleaned regularly. Some bearings come with bearing spacers or have spacers built into the bearing. These will fit in any wheel, but are not necessary for most types of skateboarding or longboarding.
Another great pro option, Element is definitely one of the top 3 brands in skateboarding. This deck is also slightly slimmer than the Enjoi deck above so it would be an even better choice for someone with small feet or who is very young. This board has an iconic look that will be recognized by most skaters, and it has the quality to last much longer than most other skateboards on the market.
The Rimable Complete 22″ Skateboard is the most compact street board that are ready-to-use. It is best for exercise and fun, and very portable. There are five colors that you can choose from Black, Blue, White, Purple, and Green. It has high-quality construction, with a high-density plastic deck. It features extremely smooth 59mm wheels along with ABEC7 bearings and solid aluminum trucks. It measures 22″ long and 6″ wide and weighs 4 pounds. It has the best rating of 4.3 on Amazon.
“Skate well and look nice”! Our skateboard brands a-z list comprises of names diligently serving for years and competently showing expert results. Considering the price of skateboards as last benchers, we let “your efficiency” to rank the best in the race. Adding funk with fashion, our top skateboard brands list serves a mere embellishment to rock your performance. Available in vibrant hues and funky designs, we deal with skateboard brands performing the best in the industry. You can also choose the best skateboard according to your choice, in which we have explained all the top selling skateboard reviews for you.
Baker is a classic good old fashioned, anti-establishment skateboard brand. Baker has a great professional team including founder Andrew Reynolds. Reynolds is also heavily involved in other well-known skateboard brands like Deathwish, Emerica, and Shake Junt. Notable street artist Neckface has a limited edition line of Baker decks that is one of the coolest in skateboarding in my opinion.
We want customers to be satisfied with their products. That’s why we have spent countless hours researching and picking the best skateboards available out on the market today. If you are a beginner and need a well-versed opinion on the topic, we sincerely hope that our reviews and FAQ sections will help you decide which skateboard you should adopt as your own!

The logo is the powerful icon that represents the company's legacy, while graphic styles tend to ebb and flow. Just as skateboarding has evolved and changed over the decades, the skateboard logo has as well, for better and for worse. Picking out the top 50 logos in skateboarding isn't an easy task. Do you separate the logo from the company and base it on visual appeal? I think that's impossible given the nature of skating. Ultimately, these are logos from companies that built the landscape of skateboarding from the ground up. So you have to take into consideration the impact of the brand as well as the logo it represents. If a logo has personal importance to you, then that's all that matters. My list is only one opinion and forged from jumping into skateboarding in 1984.

This article is about regular street skateboards. They are rounded on both ends and curved upwards. Sometimes beginners are confused by longboards that are much larger and irregularly shaped or cruiser board that can be very small. I just wanted to clarify this point, as this article is very helpful for choosing the best skateboard for beginners, but may provide incorrect or unimportant information if you are actually looking for longboards or cruisers.

One of the skateboarding companies that are at the op is Almost Skateboards, founded by pro skateboarders Daewon Song and Rodney Mullen in 2003 and distributed by Dwindle Distribution. Both had ceased participating in their previous companies, Enjoi and Artafact, respectively. Almost is a brand that concentrates on fun and creativity but on also not taking oneself too seriously. The company produces decks made of 7-ply, 8-ply and carbon fiber constructions, bound with resin epoxy glue. The brand offers completes that include skateboards with the deck, wheels, trucks and bearings, as well as wheels, accessories and apparel. The team consists of Rodney Mullen, Daewon Song, Cooper Wilt, Youness Amrani, Yuri Facchini, Tyson Bowerbank, Fran Molina, and Mitchie Brusco.
Real’s video output continued with Kicked out of Everywhere (1999), Real to Reel (2001) and Seeing Double (2002). Following these full-length releases Real adopted a different approach to video making with a number of shorter tour-based and remix video releases which chimed with the shorter attention spans of the Internet generation – these include titles such as Real ‘Remix Project V1.1 (2007) and Real ‘From the Vaults V.1 (2007).
Unlike football and cricket, skateboarding has no age limitations. People might say that it’s an ideal sport for kids and teens but that’s not true. Even the oldies can step up on the skateboard and perform thrilling drills to have some fun activity in their routine. The biggest examples are Lance Mountain and Chris Millers who are showing their skateboard talent in their 40s and 50s and nobody knows when they will stop.
A skateboard is a special type of sports equipment crafted from a long piece of maple wood with a polyurethane coating for increased durability and easy sliding while in motion. The wood is attached to four wheels and propelled forward by either the push of a rider's foot or by the gravitational forces acting upon them in a given circumstance, which means that a rider can simply stand on the board's surface and ride it downhill without using their feet at all. Skateboards are available as either long boards or short boards. Long boards are usually between thirty-five and sixty inches long and are ideal for cruising purposes and downhill racing. They are typically more expensive than short boards, which are around thirty inches long and are designed for getting air and performing stunts or tricks.

If you are completely new to skateboarding, consider taking a minute to read through the Skateboard Decks Section in our Buyer’s Guide will be helpful, but a good rule of thumb is: the bigger your feet, the wider your board should be. If you wear a size 9 and up, you can’t go wrong with buying an 8” board. Narrow boards are easier to flip while wider boards are more stable, but there are no hard and fast rules to skateboarding. The only way to really find out what you like is by trying new shapes, sizes, and brands. Brands like Welcome, Baker, Chocolate, Deathwish, and Element all have a wide variety of sizes, shapes, and graphics.

The board also boasts of its reasonably small size and lightweight nature, making it easy to control and ride. In addition, carrying it wherever you want to go is also much easier because of its lightness. It is flexible enough that it can accommodate the needs of different kinds of users, including cruisers, travelers, beginners, expert riders, and kids.

Diamond has been a household name in streetwear for their dope caps, tees, hoodies, and sneaker collab hype that have had the Internet going nuts for years, but the brand's roots are in skate. While the list of collaborations and rapper co-signs is long (too long to list here), but for skate nerds the team is way more impressive—Raven Tershy, Ryan Sheckler, Torey Pudwill, Shane O'Neil, Stevie Williams, Paul Rodriguez… The list goes on.

Phantom 2 trucks have a low profile, are lightweight and have a nice smooth edge for grinding. They also just look nice. The thing that sets Phantom trucks (both regular Phantoms and Phantom 2s) are their built in shock pads. Phantom calls it an "Impact Dispersion System," a 1.5 mm rubber shock pad built onto the bottom of the trucks. Shock pads help reduce stress from the trucks to the board.

Santa Cruz’s earliest videos Wheels of Fire (1987), Streets on Fire (1989), Speed Freaks (1989) A Reason for Living (1990) and Risk It (1990) are viewed today as paradigm-shifting releases which promoted interest in skateboarding globally by giving a platform to every kind of skateboarding that existed, from street and vert skating, through to the more niche genres such as slalom, downhill and freestyle, whilst at the same time retaining the aesthetic of skateboarding’s subcultural position in society.

New in the top 16 ranking, but still an old stager in the business. In 2016 you gladly put Anti Hero decks under your feet, which is not surprising regarding the neat designs and the high quality of the boards. The brand stands for 100% skateboarding without high life and frills. It’s all about ripping it. Get your Anti Hero deck at skatedeluxe from 52.99 € | 45.00 GBP!

Skateboarding damages urban terrain features such as curbs, benches, and ledges when skateboarders perform "grinds" and other tricks on these surfaces.[112] Private industry has responded to this problem by using skate deterrent devices, such as the Skatestopper, in efforts to prevent further damage and to reduce skateboarding on these surfaces.[112]

Where do you live? I forget that this is a global community. If you're US/CA I would recommend going to a local shop and testing some out and see what you like the most cause a Girl will be different from an Almost from an Expedition in very little ways that might turn you off the board shape more than their graphics/team. I would get between a 8" and 8.25" deck though.

Skateboarding is the best and worst thing that’ll you’ll ever have the pleasure of tearing your hair out over. In a typical day of skating, you’ll get hurt, you’ll get incredibly frustrated, and eventually land a trick that’ll make it all worth it - if you’re lucky. Choosing a skateboard is fairly simple if you know what shape and width you like. If you’ve been skating awhile, you’re probably fairly familiar with what board brands you like skating. If not, there are a number of resources to help you choose the best skateboard for your skating style. Continuing to read this little spiel is going to take the least amount of effort on your part.
Let's be clear: Mike Carroll and Rick Howard are legends and modern skating wouldn't be shit without them. There. When the two good pals left Plan B to start their own brand in 1993, skateboard history was made. Girl and Chocolate are separate brands, but they act like two sides of the same family, and after 20 years making decks and apparel for skateboarders, the clan is stronger than ever.
One of the earliest sponsored skateboarders, Patti McGee, was paid by Hobie and Vita Pak to travel around the country to do skateboarding exhibitions and to demonstrate skateboarding safety tips. McGee made the cover of Life magazine[21] in 1965 and was featured on several popular television programs—The Mike Douglas Show, What's My Line? and The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson—which helped make skateboarding even more popular at the time.[22][23][24] Some other well known surfer-style skateboarders of the time were Danny Bearer, Torger Johnson, Bruce Logan, Bill and Mark Richards, Woody Woodward, & Jim Fitzpatrick.
There are a lot of good skateboard brands out there. For a start, you can check out this list of Top Skateboard Deck Brands, but there are piles of other brands out there that are great. There are local brands, brands from other countries, and brands that you or I have never heard of. Aside from a skateboard company's reputation for quality and good design, a brand is also a brand; that is, it comes with its own character and cred. You might like a brand simply for what it represents, whether that's the company's attitude or its team or its presence at the skate park. The first step in choosing a brand is getting out there and seeing what's available.
This board also has a unique shape that makes it a lot easier to ease into turns, which is something that longboards aren’t always known for. It’s a lot easier to push off on this deck thanks to how low it sits, and you also get a one-year warranty from the manufacturer should anything go wrong. If you’ve never ridden on a board before, and don’t want to learn tricks right away, this is a great choice, especially if you’ll be riding around a lot of mostly flat areas.
As loosely defined as Bronze is, Peter Sidlauskus seems to be incapable of doing anything wrong in his marketing for the brand, endlessly putting out amazingly hilarious and gnarly New York based edits featuring a loose group of guys we can say make up their “team.” Bronze brings an aesthetic that falls somewhere between vaporwave and deepweb, and is always making gear that you can rock on the daily, from pink dad hats to coaches jackets. You might have even seen their flip of the Windows 98 logo on the backs of people like ASAP Nast.

If Supreme wasn’t featured on this list, we might get a long list of hate in the comments, but I’m not adding it just to satisfy the hypebeasts. Over the past few years, what was previously dismissed as a brand that catered mostly to resellers has once again gained a spot at the forefront of what is important in skateboarding today. With the release of cherry in 2014, Supreme showed the world that they haven’t forgotten their roots, and reminded us they will always be a skateboard company first and foremost.

Remember, no skateboard lasts forever. Each board has different lifespan, regardless of the brand. Flip tends to break the easiest if you skate a lot. Almost and Girl boards usually have the longest life span. If you want a board that lasts really longer and you have the money, go for the Uber boards. Almost has three Uber boards signed by Mullen and usually start at $70 just for the deck, and completes range from $150-$250 just for the basic. If you want the perfect board, then you are talking a lot of money.
Freedom Plaza has become a popular location for skateboarding, although the activity is illegal and has resulted in police actions.[5][115] A 2016 National Park Service management plan for the Historic Site states that skateboarding has damaged stonework, sculptures, walls, benches, steps, and other surfaces in some areas of the Plaza.[5] The management plan further states that skateboarding presents a persistent law enforcement and management challenge, as popular websites advertise the Plaza's attractiveness for the activity.[5] The plan notes that vandals have removed "No Skateboarding" signs and recommends the replacement of those signs.[5]
Girl’s next full-length video came in 2003 with the release of ‘Yeah Right‘ which introduced a crew of younger Girl riders including Paul Rodriguez and Jereme Rogers, along with announcing videographer Ty Evans addition to the Crailtap family. From 2002 onwards, Ty Evans had been the main driving force behind Crailtap’s video output as Spike Jonze’s Hollywood directorial career took off.